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Morkel fell five short of the target of 270 when he skied Nathan Hauritz to long-on but his 40 from 22 balls had done the job and he had already slammed Hauritz for a six and a pair of fours over midwicket in the same over. Again it was the batting Powerplay that haunted Australia as Morkel and Mark Boucher took 1 for 41 from the five overs beginning at the start of the 41st.

They were so productive that they got home with 21 balls to spare, despite a superb return of 1 for 29 from nine overs for Nathan Bracken. None of his bowling colleagues had the same effect - Mitchell Johnson was particularly expensive in his first match back with 1 for 71 from nine - and it was a surprisingly one-sided result in the end after Australia had South Africa worried at 5 for 163.

Things had started better for the visitors. After Australia relied on their youngest man Warner to set up their total, South Africa leaned on their two oldest stagers to get the chase off to a flyer. Gibbs and Kallis combined for a 96-run partnership that took them to a terrifically strong 1 for 125 in the 19th over.

Gibbs in particular was highly entertaining, racing to 64 from 52 deliveries as he continued to try and re-establish his place in the side following his lay-off for alcohol rehabilitation. He was especially defiant against the speed of Shaun Tait and slapped him down the ground for a pair of boundaries early in the fast man’s first spell.

A cleanly-struck six over cover off Johnson was exquisite and when Tait returned he walked at him and powered a couple of boundaries through the off side. Gibbs’ half-century came from 36 balls and he was making Australia pay for dropping him in the first over, when he drove at Tait and was spilled by David Hussey diving forward at backward point.

It was the second grassed chance in the opening over, after Ricky Ponting put down a simple chance at second slip off Hashim Amla. The fielding coach Mike Young breathed a sigh of relief when Gibbs was finally caught by Michael Hussey at slip. It was a strange shot from Gibbs, who guided Johnson straight to Hussey, almost as if he was unaware the man was in place and was looking for easy runs to third man.